Tampon applicator

Abstract

A tampon applicator includes an outer cylinder in which an absorber is housed, and a push-out opening through which the absorber is to be pushed out is provided at one side and a grip cylinder unit is provided at the other side, and an inner cylinder which is inserted into the grip cylinder unit and being moved into the outer cylinder to be thereby able to push out the absorber outward through the push-out opening. The tampon applicator includes a grip jaw unit configured to extend from an outer circumferential face of the grip cylinder unit of the outer cylinder outwardly in a radial direction, wherein a finger hook unit by which a finger of a user is to be hooked is formed at the grip jaw unit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A tampon applicator, comprising:
 an outer cylinder housing an absorber, the outer cylinder having:
 a push-out opening through which the absorber is configured to be pushed out, the push-out opening provided at one side of the outer cylinder, and 
 a grip cylinder unit at the other side of the outer cylinder, 
 
 an inner cylinder insertable into the grip cylinder unit and configured to move further into the outer cylinder to push out the absorber outward through the push-out opening; and 
 a grip jaw unit extending from an outer circumferential face of the grip cylinder unit of the outer cylinder outwardly in a radial direction more than the grip cylinder unit, 
 wherein 
 the grip jaw unit has
 a first face configured to face a vaginal opening of a user, 
 a second face configured to face away from the vaginal opening of the user, 
 a finger hook unit configured to be hooked by a finger of the user, the finger hook unit having a concave portion arranged on an outer circumferential edge of the grip jaw unit and curving toward a center of the grip jaw unit; and 
 first and second nail hook units configured to be hooked by finger nails of the user and arranged on the second face of the grip jaw unit, 
 
 the first and second nail hook units are concave in a thickness direction of the grip jaw unit or penetrate through the grip jaw unit in the thickness direction, and 
 the first nail hook unit is opposite to the second nail hook unit with respect to the center of the grip jaw unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the finger hook unit further has a convex portion on the outer circumferential edge of the grip jaw unit. 
     
     
       3. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer circumferential shape of the grip jaw unit is a curved shape. 
     
     
       4. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the grip jaw unit further comprises at least two further finger hook units identical to the finger hook unit. 
     
     
       5. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the finger hook unit has a rubber unit that is provided on the outer circumferential edge of the grip jaw unit. 
     
     
       6. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the grip jaw unit is rotatable in a circumferential direction with respect to the outer cylinder. 
     
     
       7. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the grip cylinder unit has an end opposite to the push-out opening of the outer cylinder, and 
 the grip jaw unit is spaced away from the end of the grip cylinder unit in a longitudinal direction of the outer cylinder. 
 
     
     
       8. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the concave portion of the finger hook unit is concave toward the center of the grip jaw unit in the radial direction. 
     
     
       9. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second nail hook units are located within the outer circumferential edge of the grip jaw unit. 
     
     
       10. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second nail hook units penetrate through an entire thickness of the grip jaw unit in the thickness direction. 
     
     
       11. The tampon applicator according to  claim 10 , wherein the finger hook unit is concave toward one of the first and second nail hook units in the radial direction. 
     
     
       12. The tampon applicator according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second nail hook units are concave in the thickness direction of the grip jaw unit, without penetrating through an entire thickness of the grip jaw unit in the thickness direction.